“Bro, I know this rich fucker ripped you off for a few hundred bucks and plagiarized your work, but I mail- ordered one of these Cold Steel bucklers and this feels awesome in the hand. What should my doctrine be for using this for defense?”
-Mister Ney
Sir, Lynn Thompson is a master psycho craftsman. All of his products are awesome. I have fought with numerous types of bucklers: small riveted steel, large riveted steel, made of plastic plates and bailing wire, made of steel burner plates and bailing wire and the Cold Steel Polypropylene buckler. Other than the one I made from bailing wire, steel burner plates and electrical tape, only the Cold Steel plastic shield holds up.
This shield should almost always be used as a punching device with the edge forward in line with your knuckles and the back edge flat against your wrist. Do not punch with the boss, but with the edge.
Sit it between the passenger seat and the gear shift.
When they reach in your window pin their hand with your left and punch a slot in their face with the shield.
When bailing out, use the left hand and foot to weaponize the door against whatever is halting your egress, and when you clear the door lead with your right shield side.
Stabs at your refused heart should be met with a wrist snapping punch.
Kicks at you should be met with a downward hammer fist—I dented Charles’ shin with this five years ago and he never tried to kick me again.
Against a bat coming to your head, punch across at the barrel of the bat and it will snap if wooden. Then back hand hammer-fist a slot in his face with the buckler.
With this weapon we do not hide or shield but use intercepting punches against inward, downward and upward tracking weapons and hands.
Against a takedown, hammer the edge of the shield into his spine and turn him into a meat sack.
Against a machete, intercept with that upward punch, then check his blade hand with your left while you scatter his teeth across the pavement with a lateral hammer blow.
Against a big right hand shield with your left hand and take that punch while you launch an up-jab into his ribs, or throat or chin. Follow through with an inward elbow and even shoulder butt, which will chamber the back hand to his face.
Dude, you could easily punch through windows and doors with this thing. If I was in a brawl I’d want two—if they come for you in your house, grab two and box in ribs and faces and send chicklets rattling down the stairs. Nothing beats a small shield for a doorway weapon.
Small hard shields are so much more effective than clubs, maces, axes and swords against armored men, that you are not allowed to use two shields in those armored HEMA gang fights the Russians and Polish always seem to win. Any time something is ruled a foul in combat sports—learn how to do it. Remember, the hammer fist was ruled a foul in boxing 130-some years ago, because it worked too well.
Explains why buckles don't work so well in SCA fighting. You can't use shields in an offensive manner in that game. Also explains why they were so popular with the seventeenth century rapier crowd when out for a drink.
I got viciously ko'd by a buckler while wearing hockey helmet.
Picked one up. Great item, gonna leave in the car, but I'd wrap some sticky tape/wrap around the boss grip.
Nice item and the tape is a great idea.